Invites audiences to see Cuba beyond politics and to take part in this dance that has continued to thrive despite obstacles….El Oso’s story is a personal one, that like rueda dance, invites all audiences to get up and participate.

— Michelle Leigh Farrell, Spanish Department, Fairfield University

WHEEL OF LIFE /La Rueda de la vida

Meet El Oso (the Bear), one of the founders of Casino— the Cuban dance that launched salsa. A simple man whose joie de vivre delights, Oso’ travels through his Havana regaling us with tales of his youth, when Havana’s exclusive clubs were white only, forcing him to dance on the streets.

After rock n’ roll and the revolution intervene, Oso and his circle of friends choreograph a new history felt today across the globe. One of the first U.S.-Cuba co-productions, Wheel of Life spins international relations onto the dance floor.